Building structures particularly adapted for use as greenhouses, have been erected as temporary or semi-permanent protective enclosures for plants and flowers and other things. Such previous structures were and are normally built by first erecting a framework which is then covered by plastic sheets. Numerous fasteners for attaching the plastic and various framework constructions have been devised.
In reference to some structures shown in patents, the protective cover disclosed by Mr. Commisso in his U.S. Pat. No. 3,088,244 utilizes archable support members to erect a housing from flat, easily shipped components, as does the present invention; however, Mr. Commisso's protective cover does not have the structural strength to be used in larger or more permanent embodiments.
The greenhouse described by Mr. Leskinen in his U.S. Pat. No. 3,346,991 is a more permanent structure requiring the manufacture of expensive laminated wooden arches, and ribs are required to attach the plastic covering material. Similarly, the greenhouse structure in Mr. Gahler's U.S. Pat. No. 3,791,076 requires a complicated metal frame structure with clamping means for attachment of a plastic covering.
Although many previous greenhouses and like structures were available, a demand still remained for a shelter structure such as a greenhouse which could be manufactured, shipped, stored, in knock down assemblies and be assembled more rapidly and involve less overall expense than any previous temporary, semi-permanent or permanent buildings, while remaining structurally strong in all extreme weather conditions, and during all working conditions.
The invention fulfills this demand. In various embodiments, all are useful as greenhouses, and all are prefabricated in flat, planar sub-assemblies which are economically manufactured often on an assembly line basis using jigs. The planar sub-assemblies may be transported to a construction site, for example, on a farm or nursery, where two men are able to rapidly assemble and complete the building structure, using only hand tools. The utilization of corrugated fiberglass, available in transparent, translucent, or opaque grades for roof, wall and end exteriors, and attachment to plastic conduit, using self tapping screws, results in very efficient manufacturing and construction methods. Throughout the greenhouse, standard, available materials are used, being fabricated, assembled and erected using standard regular small tools.
With these materials in place on the jig, an electric drill with an adapter is powered to drive self-tapping sheet metal screws through the fiberglass panels and on into the plastic conduits or pipes. Preferably these self-tapping sheet metal screws, which are inserted as fasteners, have a hexagonal head with a definite stop-like shoulder at the bottom of the head to indicate the completed insertion when using an electric power drill with the appropriate size hexagonal socket adapter.
The respective base frames are generally made of solid wood, and plywood, and commercially available metal gussets are used at the corners to give the base rigidity. Wood screws or nails are used as fasteners for the base. Either holes are drilled near the outer edges of the two side based members, or pipe straps are installed to receive the ends of the roof-wall plastic support conduits or pipes which are inserted vertically into drill holes or pipe strap holes. Additional holes are provided around the perimeter of the base for anchor stakes when the base is to be placed directly on the ground.